---
title: "Toyota Century Limo With $18,000 Exhaust Shrieks Like a V12 Supercar"
description: "Oh, sweet tunnel music."
date: "2020-02-24"
modified: "2020-02-24"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy.md"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/32341/toyota-century-limo-with-18000-exhaust-shrieks-like-a-v-12-supercar"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Toyota News"
tags:
  - "Toyota"
---

# Toyota Century Limo With $18,000 Exhaust Shrieks Like a V12 Supercar

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/02/toyota-century-exhaust.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

With conservative styling that belies a six-figure price tag, [Toyota's Japan-only Century limousine](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/27802/this-custom-one-off-toyota-century-is-the-japanese-emperors-new-ride.md>) is a wheeled manifestation of modesty. With five mufflers, bystanders would never guess that the whisper-quiet second-generation model was powered by a 5.0-liter, naturally aspirated V12—an engine just begging for room to breathe.

That's exactly what YouTube user effspot gave a used Century, which he claimed to have purchased for $4,500, all in the name of spending an additional $18,000 on an exhaust supplied by Japanese exotic car specialist [Brilliant Exhaust](<https://www.instagram.com/brilliantexhaust/?hl=en>). This shop is the same one that fabricated a [Formula 1-style setup for effspot's Mercedes-Benz S600](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31114/v-12-powered-mercedes-benz-s600-with-12k-f1-exhaust-will-make-your-ears-bleed.md>) late last year, the result being an S-class with an exhaust note like that of a Pagani Zonda. Unsurprisingly, the Century sounds similarly supercar-y when shouting at the top of its lungs, though its raspier exhaust note is less reminiscent of an Italian exotic and more of [a straight-piped BMW](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4kLL14LdK0>).

https://youtube.com/embed/I_sxZmdg1vM

The free-flowing exhaust also fails to turn the approximately 4,400-pound Century into a missile, as Toyota never engineered this ultra-luxury sedan with performance in mind. Its 5.0-liter "1GZ-FE" V12 never officially produced more than 276 horsepower and 355 pound-feet of torque, and some of the extra power possibly freed up by this exhaust would've still disappeared on its way through the Century's four-speed automatic transmission.

Even so, it proves the Century's V12 has loads of engine swap potential. What was that about a [four-cylinder Supra](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32220/heres-the-four-cylinder-toyota-supra-engine-swap-you-really-want.md>) again?

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## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)

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- [Toyota V12-Swapped Lamborghini Countach Clone Is a DIY Supercar Done Right](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/culture/toyota-v12-swapped-lamborghini-countach-clone-is-a-diy-supercar-done-right.md>)
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- [Building a V12 Toyota Supra Is a Bigger Hassle Than You Can Imagine](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/building-a-v12-toyota-supra-is-a-bigger-hassle-than-you-can-imagine.md>)
- [Camouflage Your Cash with This Beautifully Understated Toyota Century V12](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/37364/trade-your-cash-for-this-handsome-and-rare-1981-toyota-century.md>)
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- [Will Toyota’s Rolls-Royce and Bentley Rival Have an 800-HP V12?](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/will-toyotas-rolls-royce-and-bentley-rival-have-an-800-hp-v12.md>)
- [‘Top Secret’ V12 Toyota Supra Going to Auction, and You Need It](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/16938/top-secret-v12-supra-is-going-up-for-auction-and-you-need-it.md>)